Ticket punching device



June 19, 1934. P. DEMETRAKOPOULOS TICKET PUNCHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 7. 1933 l/I/E cwepavr INVENTOR Pefer Demefra/rapau/os ATTO R N EY Patented June 19, 1934 TICKET PUNCHING DEVICE Peter Demetrakopoulos, Middle Village, Long Island, N. Y.

Application October 7, 1933, Serial No. 692,589

3 Claims.

This invention relates to ticket punching devices and especially to devices of this character which are electrically operated and which are affixed to certain of the establishment furnishings.

' In cafeterias and establishments of like character where strip tickets or checks are used to indicate the amounts of the customers purchase, the common practice is to provide each attendant, counter-man, etc., with a hand punch which is usually suspended by a string or chain from the person. Each time that a check is presented by a customer to be punched, the punch must be fumbled for by the attendant, and after punching the check must be dropped to free his hands and subsequently again reached for, etc. It is readily apparent that this method of punchim; checks is inefficient especially when it is kept in mind that the punched out portions of the check invariably find their way into any food which, in practice, is arranged on the counters and show cases of these establishments.

The present invention seeks to provide a device in which the above undesirable features are eliminated and to this end it is an important object to provide a check punching device which may be mounted on any convenient portion of .a showcase, counter, or theflike, to leave the hands of the attendant unencumbered.

Another important feature of the invention is in the provision of a punching device having an electrically operated punch and a switch therefor wherein the switch closing lug is placed adjacent the punch so it may be depressed by an edge of the ticket to close the switch and so operate the punch.

An important feature of the invention is to provide chute means for the punched out portions of the ticket so they may be accumulated .40 and emptied at a suitable time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective fitting whereby the punchperusal of the following specification, descriptive of the accompanying drawing which discloses, as an example, one embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of punching head showing a ticket in position to be punched.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the punching head.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the head and its attaching means and electrical con- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the details of the switch.

Fig. 5 is a plan detail of the head supporting Fig. 6 is a broken face view of the dove-tail guide on the supporting fitting.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the dove-tail lugs on the punching head.

Fig. 8 is an electrical diagram of the connections to the electro-magnet and the switch.

The punching head 10 comprises a casing 11 having a top opening adapted to be closed by the cover plate 12.

The cover plate is arranged to carry a punch and die respectively 13 and 14, the die being car- 5L ried on an upstanding post 15, which protrudes through an opening in the cover, of a bracket 16 The punch 13 is carried by a swinging arm 17 pivoted to the bracket 16 at 18 and provided at its lower end with an armature 19. as the spring 20 may be provided to normally retain the punch and. die in the spaced relation shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The post 15 and brackets 16 may be integrally formed with the cover plate 12 and means may be provided such as shown at 21 to secure the cover plate and all members carried thereby to the cas- Means such An electro-magnet 22 may be carried by the casing 11 in operable relation to the armature 19. *4 r5- The post 15 is preferably provided .with an opening 23 in alignment with the die 14 and this opening communicates with a chute 24 preferably integrally formed with the cover plate 12. This chute may be employed to direct the punchings through the opening 25 in the casing as shown, or provisions may be made to collect these punchings within the casing to be disposed of upon removal of the head.

The switch is quite simple and comprises a dielectric support 26 secured to the casing 11 by means such as shown at 27. provided with a cavity 2'7 in which may be disposed a switch arm 28 pivoted at 29.

The support 26 is its arm is integrally formed with an upstanding lug 30 which protrudes through an opening 31 in the cover plate 12 and like the support 26 is formed of an electric insulating material.

A light leaf spring such as shown at 32 is placed in the cavity 27 to keep the switch arm 28 in a raised position.

The support 26 may be notched at 33 to provide openings in which the ends 34, 34 of a pin fixed in the switch arm may move.

Below each end of the pin, fixed in the support 26 and disposed in the notches 33, there may be provided contact members 36, 37.

The punching head 10 is preferably provided with electric prongs 38, 39 protruding through the bottom of the casing 11. These prongs may be carried by the members 40 which serve to insulate them from the casing should the said casing be metallic.

The punching head 10 is provided with a pair of angularly disposed dove-tail lugs 41 defining the lateral edges of the opening 25 and these are adapted to be engaged in the dove-tail guides 42 on the supporting fitting 43 which is provided with means such as 44 whereby it may be clamped to any portion 45, of a show-case, counter or the like.

The fitting 43 is provided with a portion 46 in which is carried an insulating socket 47 provided with electric contacts 48, 49, adapted to be engaged by the prongs 38, 39.

A screw 50 may be employed to secure the socket into place in the portion 46.

An electric cable incorporating the conductors 51, 52 is provided to conduct, from a proper source, current to the contacts 48, 49.

When a ticket C is presented to the attendant to be punched, he positions it between the punch and'die as shown in Fig. 1, with the amount to be punched opposite the punch-13 and one of the lateral edges or" the ticket contacting the lug 3 of the switch. Now, by simply moving the free end of the ticket downwardly in the direction of the arrow, contact is made between the pin end 34 and contact 36, and pin end 35 and contact 37. An electric circuit is established through the electromagnet 22, the armature 19 is drawn towards the magnet, the arm 17 is rocked on its pivot 18 and the ticket is perforated by the punch 13.

Movement upward of the free end of the ticket opens the circuit to the magnet, the spring 20 moves the arm 1'7 to remove the punch from the ticket so it may properly punched, be returned to the customer.

Should the punching head become damaged or otherwise injured, it may be removed from its fitting by raising it upward therefrom and another head quickly substituted. This change may be eifected in two or three seconds.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple device for the purpose has been disclosed in a preferred aspect of its embodiment. Many changes in form, size, proportion and construction may well be made without departing from the true spirit and general scope of the invention as outlined in the following claims.

What is claimed as new, is:

1. A ticket punching device comprising a fitting adapted to be attached to a suitable support, electric contacts carried by said fitting, means to supply current to the contacts, a punching head adapted to be fitted to said fitting, a punch and die carried by the head and exteriorly thereof, an armature carried by the punch, an electromagnet supported in the head and adapted to attract the armature, prongs carried by the head and adapted to electrically engage the contacts in the fitting and an electric switch operable by an edge of a ticket whereby the electro-magnet is energized to attract the armature to cause the punch to perforate the ticket.

2. A ticket punching device comprising a casing, a punch and die carried thereby, an armature carried by the punch, an electro-magnet supported in the casing and adapted to attract the armature and means to conduct electric current to the electro-magnet including a switch, said switch being operable by an edge of a ticket whereby the electro-magnet is energized to attract the armature to cause the punch to perforate the ticket.

3. A ticket punching device comprising a casing, a punch member and a die member carried thereby and exteriorly thereof, an armature carried by one of said members, an electro-magnet supported in the casing, and adapted to attract the armature and means to conduct electric cur rent to the electro-magnet including a switch, said switch being operable by an edge of a ticket whereby the electro-magnet is energized to attract the armature to cause the punch to perforate the ticket.

PETER DEMETRAKOPOULOS.

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